A hope chest is something filled with love. Where your whole family can put something in. Your brothers can put in an invention, your sisters something they sewed, your mom and dad could add billion special things.If I get married when I grow up then I hope to use the things in my hope chest.If not they will be very special memories and still be useful.Some traditional items found in a hope chest between 1600-1900 A.D might be:A sewing basketneedles, needlecase or cushion, thread, yarn, kitting needles, crochet hooks, crochet or knitting patterns, quilt and quilting patterns, clothing patterns, wovenfabrics, scissors, buttons, snaps or other fastenings, pins, needlework hoops,a sewing bird, emery bag, bod kin, bees wax, measuring tape or yard-stik, etc.Weaving supplies Cards for cleaning and fluffing wool, drop spindle or spining wheel, table loom or barn loom, pattern drafts for the loom, dried flowers for dying yarn or woven fabrics and other weaving items and supplies.SeedsHerb, vegetable and flower seeds, plant cuttings, bulbs and seedling trees.The List Goes On.......................I have a hope chest, (well it's just a plastic tub but I use it as a hope chest).I keep things in it that I can use for my house and family when I grow up, or thingsthat remind me of special memories. Like: Gifts from loved ones, my old journals, a burp cloth Bethany made for me, books, old stuffed animals, a baby outfit, old Bibles from when I was really young, pot holders, cards and letters and ceramic dolls my grandma made.

Things suggested for putting in a hope chest: Quilts, silverware, dish sets, table cloths, baby outfits, candles, aprons, books, favorite cooking recipes, scrap books, old cards and letters, old pictures, wash cloths, things to decorate your house, toys, baby blankets, pictures you drew, clothes you've made, special accessories,letters you receive or you write to yourself, and filled journals.I started my hope chest when I saw Bethany's, I thought it was so awesome and loved the idea. Every once in a while Bethany and I get out our "hope chests" and look at them together.A hope chest is designed to be filled with love, it's not the things you put in it or how expensive they are, it's thetime, effort, love and kindness.

“For wisdom is better than rubies, And all delights are not comparable to her.” Proverbs 8:11

Every wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14:1Some of the things I used in this post came from the book "The Hope Chest" by Rebekah Wilson. With much love and care, Lydia (here's a song I like, maybe you'll enjoy it too!)

In my last article (Click here for Part 1) I addressed some of the issues that surround so many of the popular fictions books.

So, what about good books? What are some books that cause us to focus on “pure, right and noble” thoughts? In this post I hope to offer some good fiction books that help you exercise your imagination and “provoke [you] to good works”.

I’ve read all these books (or had them read to me!) at some point or another and I’m pretty sure I still agree with them, however, don’t take my word for it! Perhaps my beliefs have changed or maybe we believe differently.

So let's start...

“The Miller Family Series” by Mildred A. Martin

Most of the books in this series are geared toward children ages 6-13. I can still remember my mom reading these stories aloud to us kids. We were able to relate with them and learn from their mistakes (sometimes we laughed because we had already made the same mistake). Even though most of the stories are fiction they are very similar to real life events that do happen.

These are some other books that my mom has read aloud to us kids. We were older for these books and they are recommended for 10-14 year olds but I think they would be suitable for 12- up (they are great if you are looking for a fast read!). They can be a bit intense for some children but it depends on their personality (Lydia and I tend to get scared easier then Naomi or Emily).

“The Crown & Covenant Series follows the lives of the M’kethe family as they endure persecution in 17th-century Scotland and later flee to colonial America. Doulas Bond weaves together fictional characters with historical from Scottish Covenanting history” (Description on back cover of the first book)

Something I liked about these books was how Mr. M’kethe teaches Duncan (his son) about the difference between war and defending yourself. We only have the first three books but there are more. I would recommend these to boys and girls.

“The Peleg Chronicles” by Matthew Christian Harding

Unlike C&C Series (the first 3 books cover the span of a few years) the Peleg Chronicles only covers 3 days or so. I am looking at both stacks of books right now and they are nearly the same size!

We read these aloud as a family just recently (if you haven’t guessed by now- we read books as a family sometimes, haha). My mom, dad, Naomi and I all took turns reading them aloud but everyone prefers my mom’s voice.

These books were recommended to us by some friends and we all enjoyed the books (that’s ages 11-40ish). Another plus is that these books are interesting to boys as well as girls.

The characters in this book offer a variety of beliefs, personality, age and “type” (some are giants, others are dwarfs and some are average people).

Staged in the time of Peleg (Genesis 10:15) The main Character is Mcdoogle, a very kind, very tall man (not a giant- he's only 7') who believes in “The God of Noah”.

The books do have “witch” in them but the whole idea is presented in a biblical way (God is still all powerful, no “good” magic, no details etc…). Yes the drawings on the covers are creepy but they aren’t bad.

We all liked how the characters would quote scripture in their regular speech (even things that weren’t written at the time! But the principles were there and He IS the same yesterday, today and forever!)

Overall, these books are enjoyable, thought provoking and great read alouds. But they are so hard to put down! You may be stuck reading for hours!(Click to read more!) Keepers of the Faith offers some good books (I’ve only read a few but Naomi has read more). They sell books that have been out of print for a while. The characters are Godly and strive to love God with all their hearts but they still make mistakes- they are still human.

I have read:

Ester Ried- “Ester Ried was originally published in 1870. It was one of Mrs. Alden's earliest books and became her most popular work. It is the story of a young woman (18) who claims to be a Christian, but shows a lack of love, patience, and concern for her younger siblings. The workload at home is heavy. She often complains, and is irritable most of the time.

The story is about her spiritual awakening to the Lord, and what it means to be a servant with a sweet and willing spirit. After "awakening" she realizes what a different effect she might have had on her younger brothers and sisters had she acted like a real Christian. God expects certain behavior from those who claim His name. This is an excellent story and would be a great book for older sisters to read!”

Jessie Wells- “[Jessie Wells] was Mrs. Alden's second book and was written in 1867. We think it is one of her best. It is the story of a teenage girl who has made a profession in Christ, but there seems to be no evidence of it in her life. She decides to get serious about her walk with Christ. Another thread woven into the story is Jessie's unbelieving brother. She turns her prayers and toward home and winning those closest to her. It makes a difference. This is an excellent story for everyone, but especially for young ladies.”

“Least said, soonest mended”- “What a title! What a story! Some of the advice given by the wise mother to her daughter who loved to talk is: ". . . the main part of the good and evil that we do in our lives is done with the tongue."

Mind you, it's 'least said, soonest mended,' in the long run." "What's said can never be unsaid."

The dangers of too much talk are clearly pointed out, and the dire consequences which follow such talk are clearly shown in the lives of the characters, in particular, the main character, a sweet girl named Kitty. Idle words, passing compliments, and sometimes too much admiration and praise spoken by others may also be a source of trouble in a young person's life as it was in this story. "Least said, soonest mended" is a profound phrase you will not want to forget! We made a plaque to hang up as a constant reminder to say less rather than more. Great story”

I’ve read a few of their other books but I cannot remember their titles! Sorry! I do remember the stories though…

I noticed that a few of the books have dispensationalism type doctrine that is really weird…Example; one of the books uses the verse “May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if you, O Jerusalem, are not my highest joy” (from Psalm 137) was used to mean ‘if our church building does not bring us greater joy than any other place then we are doing something wrong’- this was from one of the books that I do not remember the name of. Thought it was strange.